how exactly do people get a chance to compete at these events? could someone please explain? like do you need to have a certain amount of matches played or have X type of statistics or high placings recorded and then you are given a slot? is it an invitational kind of thing?

drail

August 20, 2009, 05:57 AM

You have to join the USPSA and shoot a qualifier match and get a rating. Then it's simply a matter of signing up early enough to get a slot before they're all filled and pay the entry fees. Find a club in your area and get involved. It's a lot of fun. USPSA also has a website.

lmccrock

August 20, 2009, 09:35 AM

Anyone can show up to a local USPSA match and shoot. However, you cannot "sign up early" to get a slot for a USPSA pistol championship. That works for the Single Stack and Multi-gun Nationals, but not for the big pistol matches. The complete policy is here (http://www.uspsa-nationals.org/Slot_policy_revised_3-2007.pdf), or check the USPSA Nationals site (http://uspsa-nationals.org/).

For example, previous national and area champs get slots. Sections and clubs get slots. The closest section to me has qualifier matches, although my club does not belong to a section, so we get our own slots; the number is based on activity, basically how many classifiers are submitted. We get about 2 slots for each nationals. Our slots are assigned based on club service, not how well you shoot, but that was a club decision. Ask at whatever club you shoot with.

Lee

RickB

August 31, 2009, 12:47 PM

While it is possible to "buy a slot", the usual way is as explained above, by competing in regional qualifiers. HQ distributes the slots proportional to the activity in member clubs. In my geographical area (Section), there is a Championship Series, with each club in the Section hosting one match that is scored as part of the Series. One club also hosts a Section Championship match in conjunction with their Series match that counts as two Series matches, and the individuals who win the Series Championship in each competitive division are guaranteed a slot if they want it. In '08, the champ didn't want his slot, so I'm going. I won the series this year and probably won't go to nationals again next year, so the guy who finished second will probably have a "shot" at the slot. Slots that are allotted to the clubs and Sections for distribution are often returned, and those become at-large slots that can be bought through participation in a sort of first-come/first-served online competition alluded to above.